What He Lost
by hishinzo
Summary: Mamoru returns to Tokyo, planning to get back together with his ex-girlfriend Usagi. But she's already moved on, with one of her best friends.


**Disclaimer: **I don't own Sailor Moon.

Japanese translations are at the bottom.

**What He Lost**

_He turned away from her, unable to watch the tears welling in Usagi's eyes. _

_She took a hesitant step forward and placed her small hand on his arm. "M-mamo-chan? What do you mean?"_

"_Just what I said, Usagi. I think we should see other people. I'm heading to America tomorrow for two years. I just don't think it's fair to either of us to be tied down right now."_

"_But, I want to be tied down! I want to be with you, Mamo-chan."_

_Mamoru forced himself to look at her, sadness etched in his own face. "Usako," he sighed, "you're only sixteen. You've never been with anyone but me. And a few months ago, when the Starlights were here… I know you weren't in love with Seiya, but I also know that you really cared for him and-"_

"_Just as a really good friend. He helped me to not be so lonely when you were… gone. But, I don't love him, Mamo-chan, not like I love you."_

"_If you didn't have me though, maybe you would have fallen in love with him. Or maybe with someone else. After our past was revealed, there was only us. I just want us both to be sure that we really do want to be with each other, that we're not together just because of destiny."_

"_Stop trying to tell me how I feel! Just go ahead and say that __**you **__want to make sure you really love me."_

"_I'm not saying that. But, it's true that I've never been in a serious relationship with anyone but you either."_

"_What about Chibi-usa?" Usagi asked, anger now clearly mingling with her sadness._

"_I love her just as much as you do, but don't you want her to be born to parents who are truly in love with each other?" Mamoru continued, not waiting for her answer. "I'm not saying it will be forever. When I come back, we'll see how I-we feel and go from there."_

Mamoru Chiba shook his head, clearing the memories from his mind. The twenty-three year old brushed black bangs from his eyes as he stepped through the automatic door into Crown arcade. He took a quick look around, noting with disappointment that his ex-girlfriend was not inside. He strolled toward the front counter where his best friend was giving change to a customer. "Motoki-kun!"

The sandy-haired arcade worker looked up. His eyes widened. "Mamoru-kun, you're back. I thought you'd decided to stay an extra summer."

"Hai, well, that internship fell through a couple days after I sent you that letter. So, here I am."

Motoki was about to answer when his eyes fell on a group of girls that had just walked in the door.

Mamoru followed his friend's gaze and winced. Those girls did not look happy to see him, the brunette especially.

"You better not be thinking of going near her," Makoto Kino ordered as soon as the trio reached him.

"She's very, very happy now," Minako Aino informed him cheerfully, her finger poking his chest as she stared up at him. "With someone else. Much happier than she ever was with you. Believe me, as the Goddess of Love, I know that this love is sooo much more than what she felt for you."

He flinched at hearing that. Normally, he wrote off most the things Minako said as part of her dumb blonde personality, but she was the Senshi of Venus. Goddess of Love was pretty much accurate for her. So, it was plausible that what she said was true.

"Mamoru-san, onegai, if you ever loved Usagi-chan, don't stir up trouble for her. Minako-chan's right. She really is very happy."

Mamoru looked away from Ami Mizuno, one of the most honest people he'd ever known. He addressed Makoto instead. "If she really loves someone else now, what would my talking to her do? Or is it that you're lying and because you all apparently dislike me now, you're really afraid that she _will_ dump the new guy and come back to me?"

He wasn't expecting her to laugh. He didn't think Ami would be hiding giggles beneath her hand.

"Have you not learned anything from the Goddess of Love?" Minako questioned, annoyed.

He rolled his eyes, looking at Makoto expectantly. "Well?"

She stifled her laughs. "It's more like, if you talked to her, you'd get fr-beat up and then Usagi-chan would probably argue with her new love-"

Minako snorted, "Like that's anything new."

Makoto ignored the blonde, "They'd argue, since Usagi-chan doesn't like to see anyone hurt."

"Then, they'd argue about Usagi-chan still caring even a little about you, even if it's only because you're a living thing," Minako continued.

"And that would lead to an argument about Usagi-chan not studying enough to know a better word than 'thing' to describe you," Ami added.

"And her love would definitely know quite a few better words."

"Minako-chan," Ami scolded, blushing at the other girl's implied use of vulgarity, "I meant a word like human or organism."

"Anyway, after that Usagi-chan would cry about her significant other thinking she's stupid. And, the latter would say they know she's _not_, she just doesn't apply herself," said Makoto.

"And call her a crybaby."

Mamoru looked at Minako when she finished her sentence, intending to interrupt the girls. He wasn't even sure they were talking to him anymore. They were just rambling on, each one telling a sentence of their bizarre story.

But, Makoto began a new sentence, not letting him get a word in, "We have learned to drown out the pointless arguing, but then comes the making up."

"And by making-_up_ we mean making-_out_," Minako smiled. "It's kind of romantic when I think about it, though."

"And annoying when they do it right in front of us- at the movies, after school, at the mall, in the park, most places we go. I can only watch it so long without missing having someone like my sempai."

"Mako-chan, are you telling me that now you're seeing you're sempai when you watch Usagi-chan and ano, her main squeeze?" Minako asked.

"Nani? Iie! I'm just saying they make me want someone like him."

"Would Ami-chan work?"

Ami and Makoto blushed. The taller girl blurted out, "M-minako-chan, what are you on?!"

Minako blinked innocently and turned back to a confused Mamoru, "So, you see, really we're just selfish and don't want to see all the smooches, no matter how romantic they are. We know Usagi-chan wouldn't go back to you. Gomen, she doesn't have those feelings anymore." She leaned forward, spared a quick glance over her shoulder at her two friends, and whispered, "Remember, the Goddess of Love knows these things."

She straightened up, "With that said, let's go, minna. I'm thirsty."

Minako grabbed her two still blushing friends' arms and pulled them toward Crown's exit, calling over her shoulder, "Ja, Motoki-san! We might come back and play games later, after Unazuki-chan gives me lots of soda."

Once outside, Ami asked, "Why did you guys keep saying 'love', significant other', and 'main squeeze'?"

"Ami-chan, we know Mamoru-baka isn't going to listen to us, and I for one want to see his face when he goes to confront Usagi-chan and finds out who she's dating now."

"Mako-chan, if we'd told him, we'd have seen his face."

"There's no fun in that," Minako said heading toward the stairway leading to the café above the arcade. "We want him to _see_ them on a date, which they are today. So, we'll keep an eye out for when he leaves Motoki-san's and then follow."

"We're spying?"

"Why not? We do it all the time anyway," Minako answered the bluenette.

"Come to think of it," Makoto mused, "that's probably why we see them kiss so often."

"Probably," Minako shrugged, "But, I must live vicariously until some super handsome guy realizes how very gorgeous I am and sweeps me off my feet. And if that means watching their annoying, yet romantic dates and arguing and tongue fights, if you know what I mean, then so be it!"

Ami sighed and the three continued up the steps.

Back in the arcade, Mamoru asked Motoki, "What's this new guy, jealous? Why else would he beat me up? And, speaking of that, what makes them think he could take me?"

"I kind of doubt the being able to beat you up thing, but the person Usagi-chan's dating is rather protective of her. Even something that pained Usagi-chan a couple years ago would probably still upset them since they don't want to think of her ever being hurt," Motoki answered, omitting the same things his young friends had, figuring they had a reason for doing so. He wasn't sure what the reason was though, and with that group, he wasn't sure he wanted to. _I'm sure he'll see them around town, though_, Motoki thought.

"Hai, he sounds real protective, arguing with her like that all the time."

"Better than breaking her heart to see what else is out there," Motoki bit out, harsher than he'd meant to. "Gomen," he said, noticing the hurt look on Mamoru's face. "But, you know Usagi-chan is like a little sister to me. Back then, I was pretty angry at you for hurting her. It's not like I would've wanted you to stay with her if you didn't really love her; that wouldn't have been fair to either of you. But, I hate seeing her cry. I forgave you, though, same as she did."

"She forgave me?"

"Don't look hopeful, Mamoru-kun. She really is in love with someone else now."

"So I heard," Mamoru muttered.

"You didn't… actually expect her to still be here waiting when you got back, did you?"

"_You go ahead and test how you feel, Mamoru-__**san**__, but I can't promise I'll be here when you come back. As much as I love you, I can only take so much in this relationship."_

"Mamoru-kun, you in there?" Motoki waved his hand in front of the other man's face.

Mamoru came out of his daze. "Hai, gomen, I was just… remembering. Motoki-kun, is she, is she really happy without me?"

Motoki looked at his friend sadly, "About a week after you left, Usagi-chan asked me how you were. She must've figured you'd keep in touch with me. She had this awful sadness in her eyes and it was plain she still really cared about you. She asked again the next week. And two weeks after that. Then a month later. I saw that sadness fading each time. Four months after you got on that plane, I found out she was seeing someone else; they'd been an official couple for a few weeks already. She started looking as cheerful as she used to, skipping around like her normal self, chattering away and insanely happy. And she only got happier as the days went by. There was no hint of pain or despair around her anymore. She asked a couple more times over the months how you were doing, if you liked school in the States, but I could tell she was just being polite, inquiring about an old friend, someone she knew I was still good friends with. Honestly, if she wasn't Usagi-chan and I didn't know she cared for everyone she ever met and even those she hasn't, I'd say she looked uninterested when she asked about you. Mamoru-kun, she doesn't ask anymore, not even to have a conversation with me. We talk about other things now," Motoki smiled fondly, remembering how enthusiastic Usagi was and the light in her eyes when talking about the person she was seeing. "The last time she asked was over a year ago. Obviously she still remembers you, but she doesn't think about you, I'm sure."

"Arigato for your honesty," Mamoru said sarcastically.

"Gomen, buddy, but you needed to know. The girls are right. You let her go, and you really lost her, for good."

"Ooh, there he goes," exclaimed Minako-chan as she peered out the window.

"I hope Motoki-san didn't say anything revealing," Makoto said.

She and Minako raced outside. After paying their bill, Ami reluctantly followed.

The three eighteen year olds followed their target across Tokyo, making sure they stayed out of sight. After two hours they were bored.

"How long until he gets to the park?" whined Minako.

"Maybe he doesn't plan to go to the park," Ami suggested, "Now why don't we head home and study."

"Oh, yamete, Ami-chan. We all know you like spying. After all, why else would you always come with us? And you're the one who always locates them on your Mercury computer," Minako pointed out to her genius friend.

Ami chose not to comment.

"Besides," Minako continued, "he's obviously looking for Usagi-chan. He went to her house, our school, the jinja, Crown again, and all our other hangouts. He has to go to the park eventually."

"Too bad we don't have a way to lure him there faster," Makoto said, disappointed.

Minako's eyes lit up, "That's it! You're a genius, Mako-chan!"

Ami and Makoto cautiously watched as Minako dug something out of her sub-space pocket. "Ta-da! The Disguise Pen."

"Where did you get that?"

"I forgot to give it back to Usagi-chan when she loaned it to me last week. I needed to be my mother to go to a parent-teacher conference. It was really funny, too. Though the teacher didn't get it. But, he was like, 'Aino-san, you must convince your daughter to be at school on time. She has far too many detentions'. So I said 'sure, I'll tell myself'. And it was…." She trailed off noticing the looks on her friends' faces, "Anyway, I'll get him to the park with this."

"Minako-chan, that pen is supposed to be for Senshi business."

"Which we haven't had in forever. Now, Disguise Pen, turn me into a beautiful idol, who looks nothing like me because then this plan won't work!"

In a flash of light, a tall woman with short, dark hair stood where Minako had just been. She looked down at herself, "Sugoi, I look almost as great as my blonde self. I guess not even a magical disguise pen can hide true beauty. Well, I'm off."

"Can't ever deflate her ego, can you," Makoto said, watching the former blonde skip toward Mamoru.

Ami shook her head as the two walked behind Minako, neither knowing just what she had planned.

Minako approached her target, working tears into her eyes and letting them spill down her cheeks. "Sir, oh Sir!" she grabbed Mamoru's arm.

"Daijobu desu ka, Miss?"

"IIE! There's something in the park downtown. Something terrible and horrible and scary. And it tried to get me, and I was scared and I ran and ran. But, then I saw you and said to myself 'M-ano, Rica, there's a lad who can slay that awful beast so that I, a precious idol of Japan, shall live beautifully and with lots of money and fame'." She stopped and stared at him. "What are you waiting for? Go to the park. Now!"

"Uh, hai, you just stay here. I'll go see what it is."

As he took off, Minako jogged back to her fellow spies, letting her transformation fade, "I think the Disguise Pen made me a bit crazy. I sounded like a nut!"

"Hai. Blame the pen."

Minako glared at Makoto.

'_There can't be a new enemy can there?'_

_Mamoru asked himself as he reached the park. 'No one else is screaming and I don't see anything. That woman was probably just insane.'_

"Rei, onegai. Onegai, onegai. I really want it."

Mamoru froze at the voice. Looking in the direction that it came from, he saw a short blonde with pigtails beside a taller raven-haired girl. He took a few steps forward. Usagi was only several yards away from him. It didn't matter what her friends had said. If he still felt like this about her, even after dating in America, then she had to still feel at least a little something for him. It was the perfect time to talk to her. Her new boyfriend was nowhere around, so no one would pick a fight with him, not that he wasn't sure he could take the guy.

"Money does not grow on the trees at the jinja, Usagi. And I already bought you three ice cream cones this week."

"But, I spent all my allowance for this week at the arcade."

"Then, I guess you're out of luck."

"Rei, you meanie."

Mamoru chuckled at the scene. Some things never change. He frowned at thinking that. He might have a bit of trouble talking to Usagi after all. Despite their bickering, Rei had always been close to his ex. She may not be keen on leaving Usagi alone with someone who had hurt her.

He looked at the sky, trying to think of a way he could get her to leave. Nothing came to him, so he decided to just wing it. Opening his eyes, Mamoru directed his gaze to Usagi again and choked, seemingly on the oxygen he was trying to breathe in. His eyes widened in disbelief and he unconsciously stumbled backwards, all the while trying to get his mind around what he was seeing.

Rei was kissing Usagi, her hands around the other girl's waist. Usagi was pressed intimately against the miko.

As Mamoru watched, the two broke the kiss, but not the embrace. There was a light in Usagi's eyes that he'd never seen when he was dating her.

Rei grinned as she looked down at the blush painting Usagi's face. She placed her hand on the blonde's cheek, "You still want that ice cream, Usa?"

Usagi giggled, sliding her own hands up Rei's arms and clasping them around her girlfriend's neck. She shook her head, "I'll live without it. Besides, you taste much better, Rei."

Then, Usagi crushed her lips to Rei's again.

Mamoru blinked. "I… they… but… nani?!"

"And we always thought he was intelligent," Makoto laughed at Mamoru trying to find an appropriate word for the situation he was watching.

"He really is dense. They're having another tongue fight right in front of him, and he still isn't comprehending that the person Usagi-chan is dating is Rei-chan," Minako said, reaching to pull a leaf out of her hair.

"What do you expect from someone who thinks a rose is a weapon?"

"Ami-chan! Are you coming over to the dark side?" Minako asked, gasping dramatically.

"I… I'm just saying," Ami took a breath and decided to be brutally honest. "Mamoru-san was never much of a superhero. Roses are for gardens, not killing. It's as simple as that. What did he think he was doing coming over here to stop a monster in the first place? It's not like he could have done anything about it. As for Rei-chan and Usagi-chan, well, even Yuuichiro-san got the message when he saw them doing… what they're doing now. And we all know he's not the sharpest tool in the shed."

"That's brightest tool."

"Iie, it's not Minako-chan," Makoto said.

"Hai, it is, cause Yuuichiro-san's not very bright and-"

"Like I was saying," Ami interrupted. "I always thought Mamoru-san was smart, but now I see I was clearly wrong. He should've gotten the message back at Crown. Even without saying her name, when Mako-chan slipped up and almost said fry before she changed it to beat up, it should have been obvious to him that Rei-chan's the only one that could burn him up."

"I did almost say that, huh?"

"I'm going to explain."

"Matte, Minako-chan," Makoto began, then looked around at the large bush she was pretty much sitting in. "Never mind. In fact, I'll go to. Anything to get out of here. You coming, Ami-chan?"

"I guess."

"Mamoru-san! Do you get it now?"

Mamoru tore his eyes away from the couple he'd been watching. "What do you want, Minako-san?"

"Just to know if you understand now. If not, I'm sure Ami-chan could spell it all out to you."

"I get it. I'm not stupid you know."

"Hontoo? We had some doubts."

Mamoru glared at her.

"Gomen, I didn't mean to say that out loud."

Mamoru glanced at Usagi and Rei again; then he walked in the opposite direction, knowing he really had lost Usagi.

"I'm bored again," Minako stated. "I guess I'll go back and wa…tch, ano, hi?"

"What are you three doing here?" Rei asked, clearly irritated. She and Usagi had finally separated, only to find their best friends several feet away.

"The better question is what are you doing here? Hmm? Having that kind of tongue-fight right in front of my innocent eyes?"

"We didn't know you were here, Minako-chan," Usagi said, blushing.

"Oh, then I forgive you."

"Iie, that's not how this works, Minako-chan. We didn't know you were here, demo I'm willing to bet you somehow knew we were."

"We were just looking out for your safety. An enemy or a mugger or something could pop up at anytime."

"Try again."

"We were, ano, Mako-chan, Ami-chan, help me out here."

"Minako-chan, you ditz, Rei-chan knows we were spying. Lying won't help."

"Fine, we were spying because we have no love lives," Minako said.

"You're lucky I'm busy right now, otherwise you'd all be going up in smoke," Rei said.

Usagi moved closer to Rei, "Can we go back to the jinja, now, Rei?"

Rei nodded and took Usagi's hand, leading her away. She called over her shoulder, "And don't follow us!"

"Because you're going to do something dirty?" Minako yelled back.

"Minako-chan!" Ami scolded.

A red blur flew past their faces. The trio turned around. There was a flaming arrow stuck in the tree behind the group.

"I won't miss next time!" Rei's voice shouted.

"How much you want to bet she only missed this time because Usagi-chan was 'distracting' her?"

"You're ecchi, Minako-chan," Makoto sighed, walking away.

Minako shrugged and followed.

Ami looked at the arrow and the direction it came from. "I wonder if Minako-chan's right."

**The End**

**Japanese Translations:**

-chan- honorific for a friend

-kun- honorific for a male

Hai- yes

Ecchi- pervert

Onegai- please

Sempai- older admired person

Ano- um

Nani- what

Iie- no

Gomen- sorry

Minna- everyone

Ja- bye

-san- honorific for a respected person

Baka- stupid

Arigato- thank you

Yamete- stop

Jinja- temple

Sugoi- wow

Daijobu desu ka- are you all right

Matte- wait

Hontoo- really


End file.
